The Church of England has accused cinemas of hypocrisy for showing a seven-minute video about Hinduism, just three weeks after it was revealed they had banned a Lord's Prayer advert.

A short clip called SanJay's Super Team which features Hindu gods acting as superheroes during prayer to protect a young boy is being broadcast at the Odeon, Cineworld and Vue cinemas.

And the Church has complained that the decision by the chains to show the clip before screenings of new Disney Pixar film The Good Dinosaur displays ‘incoherence of their on-the-hoof policy making’.

On screen: A short clip called SanJay's Super Team which features Hindu gods acting as superheroes during prayer to protect a young boy is being broadcast at the Odeon, Cineworld and Vue cinemas

Hindu film: The Reverend Arun Arora, communications director for the Archbishops' Council, said the fact the clip is being shown revealed an 'unfortunate combination of double standards and hypocrisy on display'

Superheroes: The Church has criticised cinemas for showing the seven-minute Pixar video about Hinduism

It comes three weeks after the Mail on Sunday revealed cinemas had banned the screening of an ad in which people recite the Lord’s Prayer - because they said it could be offensive to movie-goers.

Odeon, Cineworld and Vue refused to show the one-minute film the Church planned to run in cinemas across the UK before the new Star Wars blockbuster, which opens next Thursday.

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The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby reacted with fury to the ‘extraordinary’ decision at the time, saying the ad was ‘about as “offensive” as a carol service or church service on Christmas Day’.

And now, the Reverend Arun Arora, communications director for the Archbishops' Council, has criticised what he called an ‘unfortunate combination of double standards and hypocrisy on display’.

Revd Arona, who was born to a Hindu mother and grew up watching Hindi films, said: ‘I have no problem whatsoever with Sanjay and certainly have no objection to the cinemas showing this film.

Could be 'offensive': The broadcasting of the Hindu clip comes three weeks after it was revealed cinemas had banned the screening of an ad in which people recite the Lord’s Prayer (above)

Archbishop of Canterbury: Justin Welby reacted with fury last month to the ‘extraordinary’ decision to ban the Lord's Prayer ad, saying it was ‘about as “offensive” as a carol service or church service on Christmas Day’

‘But the fact that they are doing so demonstrates the incoherence of their on-the-hoof policy making. Every film and advertisement conveys a message.

Unfortunate combination of double standards and hypocrisy on display

Reverend Arun Arora, Archbishops' Council

'And this one seems to convey an obviously pro-religion, in this case pro-Hinduism, one.’

Christian mother Emma Shepherd, 44, was with her ten-year-old son at a Vue cinema in Paignton, Devon, when the SanJay's Super Team film was shown without warning.

She told The Times reporter Will Humphries: ‘The underlying message of the animation is the Hindu idols are better [than cartoons] and they are his superheroes, and yet when we try and show a picture of a little girl saying the Lord's Prayer it is somehow really offensive.’

But the cinema chains said the film was shown as one movie with The Good Dinosaur and made by the studio. And Odeon insisted the clip is not covered by its advertising policies because it is a film.

New Disney Pixar film: The Church has complained that the decision by cinema chains to show the Hindu clip before screenings of The Good Dinosaur (above) displays ‘incoherence of their on-the-hoof policy making’

Unimpressed: Monty Python star Michael Palin (left, in 1979 film the Life of Brian) said the Lord's Prayer ban seemed 'extreme' and 'ridiculous', and outspoken atheist Philip Pullman (right) said the ban was a 'mistake'

Last week senior MPs and peers wrote a hard-hitting letter demanding that cinema chains lift their ban on the Lord's Prayer ad, telling bosses to apologise for their 'wholly insensitive' suggestion that the prayer might offend movie-goers.

When we try and show a picture of a little girl saying the Lord's Prayer it is somehow really offensive

Emma Shepherd, Christian mother

The letter also asked whether the cinema chains' advertising agency Digital Cinema Media had ever withdrawn any other advertisements because people have felt offended.

It added to the mounting support for the film, which was due to be run before the new blockbuster Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

Monty Python star Michael Palin, whose 1979 movie the Life Of Brian was branded blasphemous, said the ban seemed 'extreme' and 'ridiculous', and children's author and outspoken atheist Philip Pullman said the ban was 'a mistaken decision'.

But DCM said last week that it was not prepared to reconsider their stance of not taking political or religious ads, and snubbed the Church of England's invitation to discuss the ban.